SEEKING THE FACE OF GOD

In Psalm 27, David beseeches God in an urgent, intense prayer. He pleads in verse 7. "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy also upon me, and answer me". His prayer is focused on one desire, something that has become all consuming for him, "One thing I desired of the Lord that will I seek after" (27:4)

David is testifying, I have one prayer "Lord, one request, it is my single most important goal in life, my constant prayer, the one thing I desire and I will seek after it with all that's in me. This one thing consumes me as my continual goal".

What was this one thing that David desired above all else, He tell us "that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." (27:4)

David was a great warrior, victorious in battle. He was also passionate in his prayer and devotion, with a heart that yearned after God. And the Lord had blessed David with so many of the desires of his heart. Indeed, David tasted everything a man could want in life. He had known riches and wealth, power and authority. He had received respect, and praises. God had given him Jerusalem as the capital for the Kingdom and David was surrounded by devoted men who were willing to die for him, most of all, David was a worshipper. He was a praising man who gave thanks to God for all his blessings. He testified, "The Lord laid blessings on me daily". Yet, at the same time, David was a man of war. He faced enemies and troubles throughout his life. All of hell was engaged in destroying this godly man. In fact, David now faced an entire host encamped about him, wicked enemies who had sworn to "eat up my flesh" (27:2). But David wasn't afraid. In the very first verse of this Psalm, he declaires, "Whom shall I fear" (27:1). He was confident in God's grace and mercy, and he knew the Lord would give him strength, "The Lord is the strength of my life" (27:1).

It's clear David was going to continue as he always had, living his life passionately. Yet, despite all the blessings he had experienced, something was still missing, as he looked back over his life, David saw a need in his soul that was yet unmet. His whole life came down to this one issue, and he cried out to God over it. David said, "there is a way of living, I seek now -- a settled place in the Lord that my sould logns for. I want uninterrupted spiritual intimacy with my God. This is what David meant when he prayed "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple", (27:4). David wasn't talking here about leaving his throne in order to move into the physical temple of God, no, his heart yearned for something he saw in the spirit. For David, there had to be more than a Sabbath Day worship meeting. He sensed there was something of the Lord he hadn't obtained, and he would not rest until he found it.

He said, in short, there is a beauty, a glory, an excitement about the Lord I haven't yet seen in my life. I want to know what it's like to have uninterrupted communion with my God. I've known victories, I've been delivered, I've seen his hand work miracles -- yet I still long for something unshakeable. I want my life to be a living prayer. Only that will see me through the rest of my days.

I believe David was sick and tired of dead religious rituals. This godly man was fed up with empty ceremonies, watching priest and worshippers go through lifeless forms of religion. David saw in their rituals only a form of religion, one that had no power. His heart cried, "this is all wrong". It's why people drop out of worship and turn to idols.

There is no beauty to this, nothing of passion. I love God's house, but what happend to the life". the law is still taught, but it has become only dead knowledge. Nowadays, I leave the temple with my soul cast down.

David wanted to know the life, the reality behind the religious rituals. Who was the sacrificial lamb? What was the reality behind the incense, the candlesticks! David's heart yearned to know, and he made a decision. I've had it -- I can't go on like this. I simply am not satisfied. I will not spend the rest of my life with these unmet spiritual longings, from now on, I have one goal, one pursuit in life. I'm going to dwell in the Lord's presence and inquire of him until I have obtained what my heart longs for.

Jehovah - Jireh: The Lord our Provider

Jehovah - Nissi: The Lord our Banner

Jehovah - Rapha: The Lord our Healer

Jehovah - Shammah: The Lord is present

Adonai: The Lord

El Shaddai: The Almighty God, The Great I Am

I believe there are millions o f godly Christians today who love the Lord but sense there's something missing in their lives.

When I look into my email, scores of readers, write that their church has become empty of life. Our pastor's sermons are so dead. He preaches something he gets from a book, not from seeking the Lord. I end up questioning myself after every service, I've just been in church, then why does my soul feel downcast.

David didn't go to his pastors over the matter yet, he didn't abondon the church. Infact, he never stopped, going up to the house of the Lord. Instead, he determined, if God's house is a house of prayer and if his church is wherever his presence is manifested - then I'll make my prayer room a tabernacle. I have set my heart to seek his beauty until I get to know him, I'll chain my eyes on him until I see something that's so attracts me. I know it will satifisy me to the end.

So David went to this own house and prayed, (Psalm 27:7)

God Bless!

Rev. Millie M. Colon